The Indian Premier League (IPL) has issued a public advisory notice outlining the appropriate usage guidelines of its trademarks, after “attempts at ambush marketing had been noticed.”
The advisory, which has been made available on IPL`s official website, describes the proprietary names, marks and content protected by law and the restrictions on unlicensed use for third parties. It is believed companies have been cashing in on the IPL brand without official authorisation.
"We have noticed a large and growing number of violations of IPL intellectual property rights and believe that it is important for us to issue this public guidance document," said IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi. "There seems to be a presumption among third parties that the BCCI-IPL’s proprietary names, marks and contents can be used for various commercial purposes without permission of the BCCI-IPL."
"This document has been issued to correct any such misconceptions. We are committed to protecting the IPL brand from dilution and damage and will do all things necessary to safeguard the large investments that our sponsors, partners and broadcasters have made to make the event possible."
"We will assert our rights against all infringers and will not allow any attempt at ambush marketing to succeed. At the same time, we hope and believe that the issuance of this document will clarify the legal position on a number of matters."
